Tire mold



May 15, T1923. ILA-55,2359

R. M. MERRlMAN T IRE MOLD Filed April 18, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 SnowMo:-

May 15, 1923. I

R. M. MERRIMAN TIRE MOLD Filed April 18, 1922 2 Sheets-Sh-9Q% 2 acha,

Patented May 15, i223.

snares ROBERT MITCHELL MERRIMAN, OF AKRON, OHIO.

TIRE Morin.

Application filed April 18, 1922. Serial lilo. 555,189.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. Menar- MAN, citizen of the United States,rcsiding at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tire Molds, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved mold for tire casings and-seeks,one of its principal objects, to'provide a mold which will operate toproperly'stretch a casing and hold the fabric plies thereof under thedesired tension while the tire is being cured to thus eliminate bucklesand wrinkles in the fabric.

The invention has as a further object to provide a mold wherein thecasing will be stretched uniformly throughoutits circumference.

The invention has as a still further object to provide a mold whereinclosing of the mold will serve to accomplish stretching of the casing.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a moldemploying head rings to engage the beads of the casing, wherein saidrings may be loosely connected to the core of the mold, wherein the sideplates of the mold will be formed to coact with said ings forcontracting the rings and stretch ing the casing, and wherein the meansem ployed for loosely connectinv the rings with the core will serve to ethe rings in their contracting movement.

Other and incidentalbbjects will appear hereinafter.

In "the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my im proved mold,

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows and showing the mold partially closed,

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the mold closed, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a. end of one of thesections of the Lead rings employed. I

in carrying the invention into effect, I employ a tubular core 10 fromwhich extends an inwardly directed annular flange 11 cut away atopposite sides thereof to Formed to mate opposite sides of the flange.These rings are each composed 01' a plurality of segmental sectionshaving engaging sections extend flanges 16. Formed in the flange 16 ofeach of the sections near its ends are, as particularly shown in Figurel, chordally disposed slots 17 and extending freely through said slotsare cap bolts 18 threaded into the flange 11 of the core slidablyconnecting the sections of the rings with the core. Cooperating with thecore are mating annular side plates 19, one of which is provided at itsperiphery with a channel 20 while the other is provided with anoverhanging flange 21 adapted to Slidably fit in said channel andupstanding from said plates at suitably spaced points thereabout arelugs 22 and 223 respectively. The lugs 22 carry pins 24 while the lugs23 are provided with openings 25 freely accommodating said pins forslidably coiinecting the side plates and centering said plates withrespect to each other. At their inner sides, the plates are cut away todefine the mold cavity and are provided with annular inclined shoulders26 adapted to seat fiat against the beveled faces 15 of the bead rin sand extending from the plates flush with the side faces thereof areinwardly di-' rected side flanges 27 overlying the head rings. As shownin Figure 1, these flanges are cut away at spaced points to expose theheads of the bolts 18.

In use, a tire is built up upon the core, the tire being conventionallyillustrated at 28, when, as shown in Figure 2, the flanges 14 of theside rings 13 are engaged with the beads of the tire. The bolts 18 arethen inserted through the slots 17 of the sections of the rings forconnecting said sections with the flange 11 of the core and supportingthe sections assembled. The side plates 19 are then arranged to coactwith the bead rings at opposite sides of the core, the shoulders 26 ofthe plates engaging the beveled faces 15 of the rings and the centeringpins 24 of the plates projecting into the openings 25 of the lugs 23.Pressure is then applied for closing the moldabout the tire, the sideplates being, as shown in Figure 3, moved into abutting relation havingthe side flanges 27 thereof resting against the outer edges of the headrings. When the mold is thus closed the shoulders 2-6 of the side plateswill ride over the beveled faces 15 of the bead rings for forcing thesections thereof radially inward to contract the rings and alsoshifting! the rings toward each other to abut the flange 11 of the corelimited by the. stop shoulders 12 of said flange. As will be perceived,contraction of the bead rings will serve to'stretch the tire over thecore so that. ny wrinkles or buckles in the fabric of the tire will beeliminated while the tire will be held under tension within the moldduring the curing operation. Furthermore. attention is directed to thefact that the bolts 1h will not only hold the bead rings in positionwhile the mold is being assembled but will also. when the side platesare being closed, lock the sections of the rings against individualmovement as well as hold the ends of the sections in register so that asthe side lJltltOs are brought together. tension on the rings will beequally distributed tln'oughout the circumference thereof. Accordingly,the tension of the rings upon the sides of the tire will be equallydistributed circumferentially of the tire so that an even tension uponthe fabric of the tire will be had throughout. Uverstressing of the tireat points and understressing of the tire at other points will thus beobviated.

Having thus described the invention, Whatis claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a tire core, contractible means for reducing thecircumference of the inner edges of a tire positioned on the core, andmeans connecting said first mentioned means with the core operating toguide said first mentioned means when contracted.

2. In combination. a tire core, contractible means for reducing thecircumference of the inner edges of a are positioned on the core, andfastening devices connecting said means with'the core operating to guidethe means when contracted,

3. In combination, a tire core, a contractible ring to engage the inneredge of a tire positioned on the core, and means connecting the ringwith thecore operating to guide the ring when contracted.

4'. In combination. a tire core. a contractihlc ring to engage the inneredge of a tire positioned on the core, and fastening devices tire, andmeans locking the sections of the first In H1115 against endwisemovement.

(S. A tire mold including a core, contractilllQ sectional means toengage the inner edges no of a tire upon the core, side plates adaptedto coact with said means for stretching the tire, and means connectingthe sections of the first means with the core operating to guide thefirst means when contracted and locking the sections thereof againstindividual endwise nn-w'ement.

T. A tire mold i. -luding a core contractible sectional bead 1 mgs toengage the inner edges of a tire upon the core, side plates adapted tocoact with said rings for stretching the tire, and means locking thesections of the rings against endwise movement.

8. A tire mold including a core, contractible sectional bead rings toengage the inner 7 edges of a tlre upon the core, side plates adapted tocoact with said rings for stretching the tire, and fastening devicesconnecting the sections of said rings with the core operating to guidethe sections when the rings are contracted and locking the sections ofthe rings against individual endwise movement.

9. A tire mold including a core, contractible means to engage the inneredges of a s5 tire upon the core, and means slidably connecting saidfirst mentioned means with the core to guide said first'mention'ed meanswhen contracted.

10. A tire mold including a core, contractible sectional bead rings toengage the inner edges of a tire upon the core, the sections of saidrings being provided with flanges having slots therein. fasteningdevices extending freely through said slots connectin the sections ofthe-rings with the core, and side plates to coact. with said rings forstretching the tire. V

i In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ROBERT MITCHELL MERRIMAN'. [L 5.]

